TEHRAN – Javad Nekounam stepped down as Esteghlal coach following poor results in 2024/25 Iran’s Persian Gulf Professional League (PGPL).

Nekounam announced his resignation shortly after a 2-0 loss against Al Sadd in the AFC Champions League Elite and the Iranian club agreed with his departure.

Former Esteghlal defender Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh has been named as the team’s interim coach.

Ricardo Sa Pinto is a candidate to take charge of the Iranian giants.

The Portuguese coach has most recently worked as head coach in Cypriot team APOEL.